I'm currently researching my family genealogy and have hit a roadblock. I'm researching the DiMattia family and I know some basic information from census records, but can only get so far due citizenship and name spelling variations. I'm sure that I'm not the first person to run into this, but maybe someone can help.

I know the my great grandfather Dominic DiMattia came to America in 1903-04. Dominic and the rest of the family show up on on the 1920 and 1930 census. Dominic's father Joe DiMattia is on the 1930 census.

It says on the 1930 census that Joe immigrated to American in 1884.

I've tried everything to find more information about Joe, but I have had no luck. I know his estimated time of birth is around 1850 and the he was not an American citizen at the time of the 1930 census.

Do you have the ship manifest for Dominic (probably Domenico) DiMattia?
Dominic's approx. DOB?
What is Dominic's wife's name? Do you know her maiden name?
Names of children?
Where in US did he settle (where was he on the 1920 and 1930 censuses?)

2) Prefixes such as Di come and go, even in Italian documents. One of my grandfather's came from a line of Di's, but when he was born in Italy his birth certificate is missing the prefix. Curiously, his own two Italy-born daughters are one with the Di and one without. Later, when he became a naturalized US citizen, he used a De prefix (with a following space).

Carmine

My hobby is finding things. Having found most of my own, I am happy to help others find theirs. PM me!

With his place of birth, parents' names, and his Date of birth, you will then be able to write directly to the comune in Italy for his birth record. This will give information about his parents, including their age and place of birth, and occupation. If they were born in same comune, you can then request their birth and marriage records to follow the family back in time.